1. Area of the Art
[Area of Art]
2. Description of the Background
In 1984 I was involved in an electrical accident that resulted in the amputation of my left hand and left wrist. Since then I have worn prosthetic devices, including an Otto Bock myoelectric hand for day-to-day use and a TRS Grip 2S prehensile device for use in exercise during gym visits and other heavy physical activity.
I have been a regular gym attendee for most of my adult life, and I gradually became more and more frustrated by my inability to perform a variety of upper-body exercises because of limitations caused by my prosthetic devices. While I was able to perform upper-body exercises that require a pushing motion (i.e. bench press or military press), I was unable to perform exercises that involve pulling towards me (i.e. rowing) or pulling down (i.e., lat pulldowns). Essentially, the prosthetic devices were not designed to withstand a pulling motion and would tend to detach from my forearm. In addition, I was unable to perform any kind of fly or reverse fly exercises with my left arm without causing significant pain to my left forearm caused by the inner shell of my prosthetic arm pushing against it. Again, while the prosthesis was designed for many exercises, it simply was not able to accommodate fly or reverse fly exercises.
After considerable thought and experimentation, I arrived at the device. As a result of using my new device, I can now perform all of the above exercises and make much fuller use of the gym than I could before. And while the device has been extremely effective in getting around the physical limitations of exercising with a prosthetic device, the same or similar device would also be useful for those who are in rehabilitation following any number of injuries and/or surgeries, or have a pre-existing condition such as arthritis or Carpal tunnel syndrome that interferes with a full or sustained grip.
In addition, there is an important aesthetic aspect to my invention. Over the space of almost 26 years as an amputee, I have come to realize that many prosthetic and orthotic devices and products, while utilitarian, are aesthetically lacking. My device also serves important and often overlooked stylistic and aesthetic purposes; in other words, it looks really good and is something that stands out in a positive way. This is an especially important psychological consideration for amputees dealing with the sudden change in their body and the resulting body image issues. I envision that each device can be custom-made, and as a result each wearer will be able to personalize his or her own device via choices of color for both leather/fabric and the metal hardware.